Cross Gates Primary School Admissions Arrangements

We are a foundation school and the admission authority is the Governing Body.

The school’s admission authority sets the admission policy every year. 

How many children are admitted to a school (Published Admission Number)

Each school has a Published Admission Number (PAN) which is the number of places the school can admit in Reception in 2026. The PAN at Cross Gates Primary School is 30.

Who can apply

Children born between 1 September 2021 and 31 August 2022 are due to start primary school in September 2026.

How to apply

You can apply from 1 November 2025. The deadline to apply is 15 January 2026.

The Local Authority send out letters reminding parents to apply at the end of October. You can still apply if you do not get a letter.  They recommend choosing five schools to give your child the best chance of getting a place at a school you prefer.

When you’ll find out

The Local Authority offer primary school places on 16 April 2026 (offer day). If you applied through their online application portal they'll email you with your child's offer. They'll send the email during the working day.

If you applied in any other way, you'll receive an offer letter to your registered home address (a few days after offer day).

Applying after the national closing date

If you apply after the national closing date, we cannot guarantee to consider your preferences at the same time as those received on time. 

Until 12 February, all applications submitted or changed will be treated as if they were on time.

After 12 February, any applications submitted or changed will only be considered after allocations have been made for all on time applications, unless there are exceptional reasons for the late application agreed by us.

All applications submitted after 28 February are considered late and won’t be allocated a school place until after national offer day.

Get help with your application

For help with your application, contact us on:

0113 222 4414
Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm, except Wednesdays when we open at 10am.

Email: startingprimary@leeds.gov.uk

Application timeline

Primary school applications, important dates

In-year applications

If you're moving into Leeds or want to change schools in Leeds, you need to make a school transfer – often called an in-year application.

Moving schools can be a difficult experience for a child. You should always speak to your child's current school before trying to move to see what support they can offer you.

Appeals

If you have been refused a place at a school you applied for, you have the right to appeal. 

Appeals submitted for a reception place in the normal round will need to be received by the Council’s deadline to guarantee being heard before the new school year starts. Find our appeals timetable containing deadlines and timescales.

Appeals against a decision for an in-year application can be submitted any time during the academic year. Appeals will be heard within 30 school days of the appeal request being received (where the application for a place has been refused and the right of appeal has been issued).

If you are not offered a place at the school you requested, you will have the right of appeal. The appeal panel is independent of the school and council and the decision is legally binding. 

Before you appeal you:

• should accept any place that you have been offered in case your appeal is not successful
• should think about why you are appealing and check if it's likely to be successful
• could read the advice for appealing school places on GOV.UK 
• could get independent advice on making an appeal from a charity

Leeds City Council arranges our appeals and you can find the appeal form at School appeals (leeds.gov.uk)    

 Appeals for Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 - these classes are limited to 30 pupils per teacher by law. This means that appeals for these places are less likely to be successful. 

If our school refuses your child a place because of this limit and you want to appeal, you will need to make an infant class size appeal.  You can see if your reasons are likely to be successful by reading the Department for Education's information about infant class size appeals.  

Other appeals - You can appeal because you want your child to attend a particular school. These are successful if the panel agree that the reasons for your appeal outweigh the school's decision not to admit any more children.

Wanting your child to go to a school because you think it is the best one in the area is not likely to convince the panel that your child should get a place there. 

Waiting lists

We hold a waiting list after national offer day. We automatically add all children to the waiting list after offer day.

If a place becomes available before the new school year starts, your child will automatically be allocated the place at your higher preference school. We will also automatically withdraw the place at a lower preference school to give it to another child.

We hold waiting lists for all the year groups as follows:

• your child’s place on a list is decided by the oversubscription criteria in the school’s admission policy (the rules for prioritising places)
• each time a child is added or removed, the list is ranked again, and your child can move down if another child meets higher criteria
• the waiting list will close at the end of the academic year (July). You must reapply for a new school place to be on the list the following year
• looked after children, previously looked after children and those allocated a place at the school in accordance with a Fair Access Protocol take priority over those on a waiting list